THURSDAY EDITION: The new hamfest in Marlboro, MA replacing the
Boxboro Event will be at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel in
Marlborough on July 24 25 26, note the change of dates as well as
location. More news to follow as it come in......K1JEK and the gang
are meeting for lunch today at HRO in Salem today, stop by and say
hello....I forgot to mention that the rifle silencer ad I posted
yesterday was invented by a famous ham, Hiram Percy....
Space Weather Woman
The latest space weather forecast from Dr Tamitha
Skov
TONY'S TEN METER REPORT; Another
poor week, not even the weekend could raise things. Mid-week, which
is traditionally bad was actually very bad with only 3stations
spotted in total on Wednesday and Thursday.
Best of the week OG1D (Finland), VK9NK (Norfolk Is). That’s about
it really.
Most popular DX (three or more contacts, any
mode)
1300Z-1400Z, Jan 29 and
1900Z-2000Z, Jan 29 and
0300Z-0400Z, Jan 30
FRIGID WEDNESDAY EDITION: Not much to report today, I have
been busy doing things other than ham radio.....but stay
tuned....Having solved all the problems in MA, legislators are
trying to ban nip bottles to say the environment, you have to be
shitting me!...
Ham Radio HF - The Small Garden Problem
Peter Waters G3OJV has produced a series of
videos taking a look at the small garden problems relating to HF
operation.
Watch Ham Radio HF - The Small Garden Problem
Who Was Samuel Morse?
Parts of Samuel Morse's backstory read like a tragic
Hollywood screenplay. He was born in Charlestown, Massachusetts
on April 27, 1791. A professional painter, Morse found himself
working on a portrait of the Marquis de Lafayette in 1825. The
job had taken him to Washington, D.C. where he received a
devastating letter. According to the dispatch, his young wife
had died back at their home in New Haven, Connecticut.
Worse, by the time Morse got this message, it was too late
for him to return in time for her funeral. She was laid to rest
without him.
Such was the pace of most
long-distance communications in those days. Morse was one of
the entrepreneurs leading the way.
He was one of the developers of the
first telegraphs built in the 1830s. To call any lone
scientist or inventor the "father" of this technical
breakthrough would be misleading. Morse was
just one of the visionaries behind the telegraph's early
development.
Despite his limited scientific background, Morse had a real
passion for
electricity. In 1837, he showcased a
prototypical telegraph that he'd built at a public
demonstration. Like all telegraphs, his sent out pulses of
electric current via wire. The pulses would make their way into
a receiver — and this is where Samuel Morse's famous code came
into play.
The First Morse Code Transmission
Morse's telegraph couldn't transmit voices or written
characters. Yet by capitalizing on those electric pulses, he
devised a new way to send coded messages.
Documents show that the original Morse code was Morse's
brainchild — despite rumors to the contrary. That said, he had a
brilliant partner by the name of
Alfred Vail, who helped him
refine and expand the system. Under the code, every letter
in the English language — along with most punctuation marks and
each number from zero through nine — was given a unique,
corresponding set of short and long pulses.
"Long" pulses came to be known as "dashes" while the short
ones were called "dots." In this iteration of the code, not all
dashes were created equal; some lasted
longer than others. And the spaces between pulses varied
widely (depending on the context).
Soon enough, Morse got to show off his electric cipher. In
1843, Congress handed him a $30,000 grant to build an
experimental long-distance telegraph between Washington, D.C.
and Baltimore, Maryland.
The moment of truth came on May 24, 1844. Sitting in the U.S.
Capitol's Supreme Court chamber, Morse sent a coded message
along to Vail, who was waiting in Baltimore at the other end of
the line.
Morse knew
just what to say. At the suggestion of a friend's daughter,
he transmitted a quote from the biblical book of Numbers:
"What hath God wrought."
ARTICLE
FRIGID TUESDAY EDITION: Damn cold here...I am running a little
late today with the news...check later in the day...If you are bored
enough to listen in on 3919 at night, I can guarantee you will hear
one person 80 percent of the time talking over everybody...on the
other hand, listen in to 3843 or 3927 and hear a variety of hams
talking about a variety of topics and......no checking in, no silly
member numbers, no bullshit, no agenda, nobody telling you to ID....
ARRL Events App is Available for Apple iOS and Android Devic
The ARRL Events app is available to use with
Apple iOS and
Android devices. A
web-browser version, optimized for most
browsers and other types of mobile devices, is also available.
ARRL Events will be featured at
Orlando HamCation
2020, February 7 – 9, which has been sanctioned as the 2020 ARRL
Northern Florida Section Convention.
ITU Development Sector
Publication Highlights Amateur Radio’s Role in Emergency
Communication
Amateur radio is featured in the publication,
ITU Guidelines for national emergency
telecommunication plans, published
by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Development Sector (ITU-D). The publication notes that radio
amateurs have supported communication in emergency
situations on a voluntary basis since the dawn of radio.
“They are experts in radio communications and have the
equipment, skills and necessary frequencies allocated by ITU
to deploy networks in emergency events quickly and
efficiently,” the publication says. ITU-D said amateur radio
support offers “great coverage due to the large number of
amateur radio stations available;” training programs and
exercises have been developed for emergency communication;
“qualified temporary volunteers who provide skills and
experience essential for emergency telecommunications;”
problem-solving skills and an ability to work with “often
very limited resources,” and the ability to work with
alternative power sources.
Past ARRL President and IARU Secretary Rod Stafford,
W6ROD, represents the International Amateur Radio Union at
ITU-D meetings. — Thanks to Southgate Amateur Radio
News; IARU
2020 IOTA Bash
Bob, WB2YQH, reports: The details for
the 2020 IOTA Bash are now on the IREF
(Island Radio Expedition Foundation) web site.
Looks to be an exciting program. It's always an enjoyable
weekend in Texas hill country.
MONDAY EDITION: Joe-K1JEK has organized lunch for the bunch
this Thursday in Salem, NH at HRO, almost all are welcome....
My buddies hot rod he has been building for over a year in his shop....it is
perfect in every way! Engine is a blown Chevy 327 with a mild cam. Car is being
painted the same color as the frame later this week. Baron has been building hot
rods since 1969 and his shop is in Gloucester, MA
A good indicator of a class mechanic is how he
keeps his shop...meticulous...His daily driver
is a blown 57 Corvette and a blown 55 Chevy two door...
CEO SHIT CANNED! Barry Shelley, N1VXY, to Become ARRL
Interim CEO....
At its meeting this weekend, the
ARRL
Board of Directors did not elect Howard Michel, WB2ITX, as the
ARRL Chief Executive Officer. Beginning Monday, January
20, Barry Shelley, N1VXY, will become interim CEO. Mr. Shelley
was ARRL’s Chief Financial Officer for 28 years and CEO during
2018 before his retirement. The board has created a search
committee to select the next CEO. More details on this and other
matters which took place at the board meeting will be released
shortly.
AmateurLogic 139: Now With 2020 Vision
Just how much faster is the Raspberry Pi 4? Tommy finds out.
George has a free remote desktop solution with some unique
features. Emile tries Vara Winlink. And Mike ventures into the
“Box of Incomplete Dreams” for a QRP Labs WSPR kit.
VIDEO
Bowater Credit Union donates to ham radio club
The Bowater Credit Union has donated $1,000 to the McMinn
County Amateur Radio Club (MCARC)
The Cleveland Banner reports:
Bowater Credit Union members Joyce Johnson and Bill Luecken
W4WPL have each won a $1,000 Pay It Forward prize for their
favorite nonprofits doing good in the five counties eligible for
credit union membership, Isaiah 117 House and McMinn County
Amateur Radio Club (MCARC), respectively.
The McMinn County Amateur Radio Club “in addition to serving as
a venue for promoting amateur radio has a core value of
community service and providing emergency communication,” writes
Luecken. “As a testament to the critical need provided for by
these services is the fact that after the Nov. 30, 2016, tornado
in Athens the MCARC emergency radio repeater network was the
only communication system capable of county wide communication.”
MCARC welcomes financial support, but is especially seeking new
members interested in learning more about HAM radio and the
important service MCARC provides. Learn more and find upcoming
meeting information at
http://mcminnarc.com/
Mexican special event
The members of the the DXXE Group,
through-out the 2020 year, will celebrate its 15th anniversary
with the activation of the special callsign 4A15DXXE,
from January 20th, until December 31st, 2020.
Activity will be on all bands and modes especially in
contests, special events, via satellite and EME from different
Grid Locators in Mexico.
QSL via LoTW only.
ADDED NOTES: Over the coming months, look for other special
events stations to celebrate this anniversary from Cuba, Spain,
the Canary Islands, France and South America:
- Raúl/CO8ZZ and the DX Group of Cuba will operate as T40DXXE
between
January 20-31st. See "T40, CUBA (Special Event)"
click here.
- From Spain, Salva/EA5BB will be on the air between April
1-15th, as
AO15DXXE and on the same days, from the Canary Islands (AF-004),
Juan/EA8RM will sign AO15DXXE/8.
- From France, Thierry/F4GVO will operate as TM15DXXE,
between April
1-15th, and will be on SSB, FT4, FT8, from 80-6 meters.
hen the operators have free time as it allows.
Whoever manages to contact the station on at least three
bands, regardless of mode, will receive a special certificate in
digital format.
The DXXE Group encourages radio activity during inter-national
competitions, expeditions, island activations, as well as
experimentation with new technologies applied to radio
communications. On the other hand, it grants the "DXXE Diploma"
to those who demonstrate having contacted at least three members
of the group.
The DXXE brings together renowned Mexican operators and
others from the countries in the Americas, Europe and Asia.
There will be other celebrations for this anniversary as well as
other special event stations from South America, Mexico, Spain,
Canary Islands and France being added throughout the year. For
more details and QSL route, see QRZ.com.
WEEKEND EDITION: Snow tonight, cold today....Big News for New
England; Boxboro Hamfest moving to a new Marlboro Hotel location and
a new date in July in the future, just a rumor I heard from a
pretty solid source.....3843 jammed by the Mexican Bandito's last
night, where the hell did they come from? And for the love of God
and country, speak English!...70th anniversary of the
Brink's Robbery yesterday, they would have made it but one
ratted out the others, most of the money never was found.....
Bob Heil’s unlikely “rock star” story is
legendary.
Heil is mild-mannered, friendly and encouraging. He’s never
smoked or drank, so he isn’t anything like the stereotypical rocker.
He is, however, considered by many to be the father of
modern rock-concert sound. He was the first to build very, very loud
speakers that pumped out the volume for everyone from the Grateful
Dead to The Who and many other legendary bands. His creations were
so important over time that Heil has a place in the Rock & Roll Hall
of Fame.
I first met the celebrated sound equipment manufacturer when we
both trod the hallways of KMOX radio in the early ’90s. He was known
to listeners as “High Tech Heil” and talked about the latest
innovations in audio and video. The first time I heard the phrase
high-definition television was from Heil. I knew he had
notable credentials, but I mostly thought he was more of a techno
geek. It wasn’t until years later that I found out he’d been hanging
out with rock ’n’ roll royalty for decades and played a significant
role in the music’s history.
STORY
Foundations of Amateur Radio
The lessons we teach
When you become a member of the amateur radio community you
become part of a small group of humans who know and understand
certain aspects of life. That's not to say that others don't share
this or that the knowledge is unique or special, but radio amateurs
are required to know this before they receive their license.
In the past I've spoken about how getting a license is like
receiving a key that opens the door to the world of radio
communications. It's one of the more accessible ways to grab hold of
this key and it's the recipe for life long learning.
During the week a friend of mine, a newly minted amateur, pointed
out that this represents something that the general population isn't
aware of or attaches little in the way of value to. The
interconnectedness of radio spectrum is something that radio
amateurs take for granted. To us it's obvious. A transmitter on 3585
kHz is fundamentally the same as one on 92.1 MHz. A key fob on 434
MHz is similar to a computer on 2.45 GHz as is a laser on 500 THz or
an X-ray machine on 30 PHz.
As a radio amateur we're taught that the radio spectrum is a
continuous phenomenon and that spectrum is shared among users with
specific rules around interference and interaction.
Another thing we know as radio amateurs is the difference between
the front and the back of a Yagi-antenna. We know about radiation
patterns, about the ionosphere and how the sun and sun-spots
interact with some of our activities.
The point is that our knowledge, it's fair to say, specialised
knowledge, even at the lowest level of licensing, exceeds that of
the general public.
This is all by way of background because this leads to something
that I learnt during the week.
As amateurs we have a responsibility to be custodians of that
knowledge, that is, to care for it and to ensure its accuracy and to
preserve that knowledge.
For some amateurs that means that they want this information to
be exclusive, but for me it means that this information should be
shared and nurtured and encouraged in those people who make choices
based on incorrect information.
For example, as a radio amateur it's my duty to inform a person
who is contemplating breaking the radio spectrum licensing rules
that they are doing so. Not because I'm a regulator, but because I
have specialised information that they lack. Importing a radio
module that's using a frequency that's not available in your country
is an example of something that I am compelled to point out.
I know that some amateurs take this compulsion to the next level
and become a de-facto police officer attempting to enforce those
restrictions. I understand where that comes from, but I also know
that this is not my role and it's not your role. If you feel
strongly enough about a transgression, perceived or real, there are
plenty of ways to deal with that. Reporting the offence to the
regulator is one option for example.
Knowing which end is the front of a TV antenna means that you can
point out a mistake to a home-owner about the direction their
antenna is pointing at, but it doesn't mean that you need to climb
on their roof to turn it around.
I've said many times before that having an amateur license is a
privilege. It's a gift, even if you worked hard for it, it was given
to you, bestowed on you by the regulator in your country.
It seems to me that having such a gift means that it should be
treated as such. As radio amateurs we're not entitled to a license,
nor are we entitled to transmit. We're granted permission to do so.
I think that it's important to keep that in the back of our minds
when we set out to educate those around us.
As for the education itself. It pays to consider what you take
for granted when you're giving advice. Telling a person about Wi-Fi
propagation through a home is a complex topic. You can make the
explanation as hard or as simple as you want, but don't expect that
the person receiving the advice has the same background information
or interest that you have.
I was once told by a statistician about how various statistics
worked and what their background was. I was translating a program
from Modula-2 into WingZ hyper-script. I didn't care about how it
worked, just that the provided code did what it was supposed to and
that what I wrote did the same thing. I had no interest in becoming
a professor in statistics, despite the earnest instruction enforced
on me by my employer 30 years ago.
It's been said that you must learn from the mistakes of others.
You can't possibly live long enough to make them all yourself.
What and how we teach those around us can be the seed of
something bigger. I may well have become a statistician if the
information had been tailored to my requirements, but that chance
was lost 30 years ago.
I think it's a great way to consider what we teach and how.
I'm Onno VK6FLAB
New Book from ARRL: Amateur Radio Contesting for Beginners
01/17/2020
Contesting is one of the most exciting aspects of amateur
radio — and for some, it’s their primary ham radio activity.
Amateur Radio Contesting for Beginners by
contesting veteran Doug Grant, K1DG, offers practical
information and ideas that will help you to get started in
contesting — “radiosport” — or to build your skills, if you’re
already active.
Contesting tests station capability and operator skill, and
it really is a sport, with a typical objective of
contacting as many stations and multipliers — ARRL Sections,
states, grids, or DXCC entities, for example — within the
contest period.
“Doug Grant has written the ideal guide for anyone interested
in contesting,” said QST Editor Steve Ford, WB8IMY.
Grant’s book explains what equipment you need, typical
contest formats, details of some more popular events, operating
techniques, how to submit an entry, and how to improve your
scores. No matter how modest your station or experience, you can
compete, too!
Amateur Radio Contesting for Beginners
is available from the ARRL
Store or your
ARRL
Dealer. (ARRL Item no. 1243, ISBN: 978-1-62595-124-3,
$27.95 retail, special ARRL Member Price $24.95). Call
860-594-0355 or, toll-free in the US, 888-277-5289. It’s also
available as an e-book for the Amazon Kindle.
Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2203
TRAGIC DROWNING HALTS ROTUMA DXPEDITION
NEIL/ANCHOR: We begin this week's report with news from the Rotuma
DXpedition 3D2AG/p. All operations have gone QRT following a
personal tragedy, the drowning of the 11-year-old son of Antoine
3D2AG, who had been on the air from Rotuma in the Republic of Fiji
since the 21st of December. The child drowned on the 9th of January
and his body was found in deep water. The entire Newsline staff
extends heartfelt condolences to Antoine and his family.
HAMS STEP UP AFTER PHILIPPINE VOLCANO ERUPTS
NEIL/ANCHOR: In the Philippines, hams activated quickly following
the eruption of a volcano near Manila. John Williams VK4JJW has that
report.
JOHN: The eruption of the Taal volcano near the Manila metro area in
the Philippines on January 12th spurred an activation of the Ham
Radio Emergency Operations, or HERO, network of the Philippine
Amateur Radio Association. According to a report from PARA's Thelma
Pascua DU1IVT and JoJo Vicencio DU1VHY as conditions worsened with
power blackouts hams became active on the 2 metre calling frequency
and were joined by PARA club DX1ACE and others in their respective
areas. Ashfall had begun to affect metropolitan Manila, even
northern Quezon City. The southern cities were reported to be
seriously impacted. DX1ACE began a relief effort to assist evacuees
in the Batangas area evacuation centers. IARU Region 3 Disaster
Committee Chairman Dani YB2TJV issued a notice that 40 metres was
also being monitored. By January 13th, however, a change in wind
direction had given metro Manila a relief from the ashfall.
AMATEURS HELP IN POST-QUAKE PUERTO RICO
NEIL/ANCHOR: Hams are on the scene in Puerto Rico, helping an island
shaken by the latest tremors. Here's Christian Cudnik K0STH with the
details.
CHRISTIAN: With thousands of people displaced following a 6.4
magnitude earthquake and a later 5.9 magnitude tremor, volunteers
from the Amateur Radio Emergency Service, or ARES, are in Puerto
Rico assisting the American Red Cross. Although commercial
telecommunications remain largely intact and most of the island's
power was back on, hams were handling health and welfare traffic on
VHF and UHF and at Red Cross headquarters as of mid-week. The ARRL's
Ham Aid Fund was also sending equipment. Puerto Rico Section Manager
Oscar Resto KP4RF told the ARRL that radio operations were being
used as a backup in case further quakes occur.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quakes are among more
than 500 to strike the Caribbean territory since late December. The
recent quakes are said to have caused $110 million worth of damage.
SILENT KEY: SULTAN QABOOS BIN SAID A41AA
NEIL/ANCHOR: From the Sultanate of Oman comes word of the death of
its longtime leader - a notable ham radio operator. Jason Daniels
VK2LAW tells us more.
JASON: An amateur radio operator who was also the longest tenured
monarch in the Arab world has become a Silent Key. Sultan Qaboos bin
Said A41AA was credited with transforming the sultanate into a
modern developed state since becoming its ruler in 1970. The Royal
Omani Amateur Radio Society A47RS notes on its webpage that it was
created in 1972 under his patronage.
Various media outlets recalled him as a man of peace. A BBC report
noted that although no cause of death was confirmed, the sultan had
been in Belgium in December seeking medical treatment, presumably
for cancer.
Sultan Qaboos, who died Friday, January 10th, was aged 79.
SILENT KEY: DXER PETER GLASMACHER DK5DC/AA6M
NEIL/ANCHOR: In Germany, hams are mourning the unexpected death of
well-known DXer Peter Glasmacher DK5DC/AA6M. Peter, who was an ARRL
member and a DXCC card checker, became a Silent Key on the 12th of
January. A familiar face to many at Ham Radio Friedrichshafen
(FREED-RICK-SHOFF-EN), Peter was also the author of a monthly DX
column for the Deutscher Amateur Radio Club's magazine. He was also
District chair for DARC in Westphalia-South. Peter Glasmacher was
68.
HAM LOSES BATTLE TO BUILD TOWER OUTSIDE MASSACHUSETTS HOME
NEIL/ANCHOR: In late December, Newsline reported on a Massachusetts
neighborhood's battle with a local ham's work-in-progress: his
80-foot amateur radio tower. That battle is over. Kent Peterson
KC0DGY brings us the followup story.
KENT: Mikhail Filippov KD1MF will not be building his ham radio
tower after all. His Framingham, Massachusetts neighors have
prevailed in their challenge to the city building permit he had been
issued, saying it was done improperly. On Wednesday, January 8th,
the city's Zoning Board of Appeals agreed saying that the project
does not meet the necessary setback requirements. Neighbors have
been fighting the 80-foot steel structure saying it would be an
eyesore and damage property values.
Mikhail has already poured the foundation but halted construction
after last month's meeting ended with no further action.
His attorney Fred Hopengarten told local reporters he was waiting
for the zoning officials' written opinion before deciding whether -
and how - to proceed. Mikhail has the option to reapply for a
building permit. Zoning officials have said if he chooses this
route, the building commissioner should review a state law that
would require the project to undergo a site plan review. Mikhail
also has the option of appealing the zoning board's decision in
court instead.
ROOSTING VULTURES CAUSE TROUBLE FOR TEXAS TOWER
NEIL/ANCHOR: Another tower - this one in Texas - is having issues
with....hygiene. Mike Askins KE5CXP explains.
MIKE: So you think you have troubles maintaining your tower?
Consider this: In Kingsville, Texas on the U.S.-Mexico border about
300 turkey vultures have established a resting place on a radio
tower owned and operated by the United States Customs and Border
Protection agency.
The birds of prey aren't nesting there, or even laying eggs -- but
federal officials are calling for the problem to be eliminated
because of what the birds themselves have eliminated. Use your
imagination. Whatever it may be, when it leaves the bird it drops
300 feet to whatever may be beneath.
According to various news reports, the vultures have made this a
habit for more than six years but the government has finally
declared that what comes out of these vultures has created too much
of the wrong kind of pileup. Workers climbing the tower come into
contact with the various corrosive substances which are also landing
on supports, rails and catwalks, according to a Department of
Homeland Security memo.
The birds are under the protection of the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty
Act and no one has indicated a desire to harm them but officials are
seeking a solution. Customs officials are considering some net
control - not the kind that handles check-ins - but the kind that
will prevent the birds themselves from any further check-ins. By
summer, the agency hopes to get netting draped over the tower to
prevent future RF - Roosting Flock - interference.
HAMS KEEP WATCHFUL EYE AT INDIA'S GANGA SAGAR MELA
NEIL/ANCHOR: A major gathering of worshippers in India once again
has amateur radio operators looking out for everyone. Jim Meachen
ZL2BHF has that report.
JIM: In West Bengal, India, the annual Hindu pilgrimage known as the
Ganga Sagar Mela is a time for prayer and spiritual renewal. This
year as in previous years, as hundreds of thousands of worshippers
converged at Ganga Sagar Island, they could again rely on amateur
radio operators to help keep them safe in the massive crowd where
devotees have been known to wander off and lose their way back to
friends and family.
Using the special call sign 8T2G, the West Bengal Radio Club VU2WB
was operating on site with support from the National Institute of
Amateur Radio VU2NRO and the Indian Institute of Hams VU2IIH.
Activities at the cultural and spiritual festival include a dip in
the water where the river Ganges meets the Bay of Bengal.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.
NEIL/ANCHOR: According to a news report on Tuesday January 14th, the
West Bengal hams successfully tracked down a teenager who was in the
process of being kidnapped by three youths. The girl, who was
released when the trio ran off, had been reported missing earlier by
her grandparents.
WALMART GRANT ASSISTS NEW MEXICO HAM CLUB PROJECT
NEIL/ANCHOR: In New Mexico, a grant is helping one ham club realize
its goal of linked repeaters. Stephen Kinford N8WB has those
details.
STEPHEN: The Valencia County Amateur Radio Association KC5OUR will
soon be able to link its three repeaters in New Mexico to one
another with the help of a $1,900 grant from Walmart. A check has
been presented to the club from the company, which gives such gifts
annually to assist community service projects undertaken by
nonprofit organizations. Linked repeaters will prove especially
useful for the county's first responders during emergencies and for
major public events. According to the Walmart website, cash grants
awarded each year range from $250 to $5,000. The ham radio club's
grant was among the more than $42 million in local grants awarded in
the 2019 fiscal year.
YOTA STATIONS IN THE AMERICAS COUNT NEARLY 12,500 QSOs
NEIL/ANCHOR: December YOTA Month is always a hit with young
operators around the world but this past December gave hams in the
Americas something more to celebrate: Young operators in the
Americas logged nearly 12,500 QSOs during the global event,
according to a report from organizers including coordinator Bryant
Rascoll KG5HVO. There were 18 operators in North and South America
using SSB, CW, digital modes and satellites. Globally there were 48
special callsigns active, logging nearly 129,000 contacts. Newsline
takes particular pride in Bryant, who was our Young Ham of the Year
for 2018.
The youth activations in the Americas are a prelude to an
unprecented experience this summer: the first youth-oriented radio
camp taking place in the Western Hemisphere – in Ohio – this coming
June.
AURORA BOREALIS A BRIGHT SPOT FOR EYEBALL QSOS
NEIL/ANCHOR: Hams disheartened by the sunspot shortage might want to
think of the aurora borealis as a bright spot - for reasons that may
surprise you. Jim Damron N8TMW explains.
JIM: So you're hoping for a QSO with a ham in Alaska? Depending upon
where you live, you might require a K index of 3 or lower, a sign
that solar storms won't mess up propagation. Of course, if what
you're hoping for is an eyeball QSO with someone there, you might
have wanted to consider a K index of 8 or even 9, the maximum. It
not only brings an aurora borealis in all its glory, it saved
travelers money with one airline if they booked a trip to Fairbanks
or Anchorage, timing the visit with the highest predicted indexes.
The very highest ones provided discounts of as much as 35 percent on
tickets bought through January 17th for travel until February 12th.
The marketing gimmick by Alaska Airlines celebrates the solar
storms, something we hams tend to curse if we're on HF. The
campaign's slogan? "The more intense the lights, the more you save
on flights." Most of us, however, are waiting for an alternate
slogan: "Forget that big vacation, we're needing propagation."
RADIO SOCIETY PRESENTS FIRST MEMORIAL TROPHY
NEIL/ANCHOR: One of the younger members of a radio society in
Britain has become the first recipient of a trophy created to honor
a Silent Key. Jeremy Boot G4NJH has that story.
JEREMY: There is nothing else quite like the Bury Radio Society's
memorial trophy which was crafted from a rare vintage French-made
transmitting tube, a Phillips QB4-1100 valve, mounted on a hardwood
base made out of a church pew. The trophy is a tribute to a ham
considered by the radio society to have been like no other: Peter
Smith G2DPL, the group's longtime treasurer who died last year of
cancer.
Society members told the Bury Times newspaper that over the years,
Peter Smith, who worked as a network engineer, had spoken often at
meetings on the subject of power transmission - and that many of his
stories contained amusing outcomes of what could - and did - go
wrong. He had been a radio amateur since 1968.
The trophy was presented at the December meeting to Sean Redmond
M7DOS by society chairman Peter Butterworth G0GPH (G-ZERO-GPH),
recognising Sean's commitment to promoting the club and serving as
an example to other young amateurs. Sean is the G2DPL trophy's first
recipient.
WORLD OF DX
In the world of DX, there's still time to work special event station
TM70TAAF which was activated by François F8DVD on the 12th of
January and will be on the air until the 26th. The activation
commemorates the 70th anniversary of the first ham radio contacts
made with the French Southern and Antarctic Lands while scientific
research stations were being built there. QSL by the bureau or
direct. All QSOs will be uploaded to LoTW.
Norbert DJ9RB is on the air from southern India until the 24th of
January, operating as VU2RBQ. Listen for him on 80, 40, 30 and 20
meters using CW. QSL via his home call.
KICKER: HAM IS AT HOME BEING 'CITIZEN OF THE YEAR'
NEIL/ANCHOR: Our final story celebrates the public service spirit
that thrives in all amateur radio operators - especially this one in
California. Here's Dave Parks WB8ODF with his story.
DAVE: Ask Carl Gehricke N6RNC whether it's an honor being named
Citizen of the Year for 2020 and he'll say yes. No surprise there.
The retired California Correctional Institution sergeant has been
busy giving back to the community he's called home for 43 years. He
volunteers with the Civil Air Patrol, with Tehachapi Search and
Rescue, the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army Amateur Radio
Club and the Tehachapi Ham Radio Club. He also volunteers as an
ambassador with the Greater Tehachapi Chamber of Commerce, which
joined the Tehachapi News in conferring the honor recently.
According to the news reports, Carl was also singled out because of
his volunteer work with the local Mountain Festival, where he's
donated his efforts since 1980. He's also a regular at the Fall
Business Showcase and the Christmas parade.
Ask Carl about any other honor and he won't hesitate to add one
more: ham radio operator. It's no secret that this longtime hobby of
his became his gateway to a life of altruism.
He told the newspaper: [quote] "Because of ham radio, I've helped
out quite a bit. I set it up for fires, and for the Salvation Army
and Red Cross. I have it available, so I use it." [endquote]
Four decades after finding a home in this California community, this
citizen of the year is at home helping preserve it. He told the
newspaper: "This is our home, and it's time to take care of your
home."
FRIDAY EDITION: 18° AND GUSTING
50MPH...AGAIN, seventh windstorm in 7 weeks! Wind-chill factor
around 5°.....snow on the way tomorrow. .....Famous
radio operators....Lookup hams
by zipcode....History
of
old car audio....
6 Famous Hams:
Guglielmo Marconi was an
Italian inventor and the person who first adapted radio
waves into a functioning communication system. After the
initial idea of interconnected telegraphic systems, many
people began experimenting with possibility of making it
wireless.
At the break between 1800’s
and 1900’s wireless was completely unregulated, as nobody
really knew how it worked with all the transmitters and
receivers, resulting in many people experimenting with
their transmitters
and receivers.
It’s hard to tell who was
the world’s first radio amateur. Rumors are that it could
have been M.J.C. Dennis from London, UK. Influenced by
Marconi’s experiments, Dennis reportedly built first
non-professional wireless station in the world in 1898.
The interest has grown more
and more ever since. Nowadays the field is regulated with
licensing and the hobby has become well-established. Red
Pitaya recognized the interest and built Hamlab,
which includes everything any ham radio operator needs for
its daily operations. From country leaders to the leaders of
the world’s largest companies, amateur radio unites people
of different backgrounds and professions.
1. Yuri Gagarin (UA1LO)
Yuri Gagarin became the
first human to travel into space in 1961. This historic
flight brought him immediate worldwide recognition. However,
only few people know that Russian cosmonaut was also a ham
radio operator. Most of the members of today’s astronaut
corps are licensed amateur
radio operators.
2. Les Hamilton (GM3ITN)
Les Hamilton was a Scottish ham
radio operator who first alerted the British
government that the Falkland Islands had been invaded by
Argentina. During the occupation he was the only person in
Britain to be in regular radio contact with the islanders.
3. John Sculley (K2HEP)
John Sculley, the former
president of PepsiCo (1977–1983), became the CEO of Apple
Inc. in 1983 and he is also a licensed radio amateur. The
marketing genius remained on the position for ten years and
even saw the great Steve Jobs resign from his position after
the fight between the two of them.
4. Qaboos bin Said al Said
(A41AA)
Qaboos bin Said al Said is
the Sultan of Oman. And not just that. The country’s leader
is a radio
amateur as well! Qaboos bin Said al Said became
the Sultan of the country of Oman in 1970 and has remained
on the position to this day.
5. Juan Carlos (EA0JC)
From one country leader to
another. Well almost. Juan Carlos resigned as the King of
Spain from 1975 to 2014. His amateur radio callsign is
EA0JC.
6. Marlon Brando (FO5GJ)
Last Tango in Paris, The
Godfather, Julius Caesar… Who hasn’t heard of these cult
movies? They all have one thing in common. It’s Marlon
Brando, one of the best actors in history. And there’s more.
Marlon Brando was a licensed radio amateur, with the
callsign FO5GJ.
High Speed Telegraphy Competitions Set
The 17th International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) High Speed
Telegraphy (HST)
World Championship will take place August 20 – 24 in
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Europe’s HST Cup and Balkan HST
Championships will take place May 8 – 12 in Elbasan, Albania.
Although not an IARU-recognized event, this international
competition is widely accepted by the HST community as an
opportunity for top competitors to check their form before the
world championship, for teams to test new candidates for a
national team, and for those unable to participate at the World
Championship to still enjoy top-level competition. — Thanks
to IARU Region 1
Have you ever thought about communicating
with people in different countries, around the world, "off the
grid?" Or, communicating with the astronauts on the
International Space Station via a small handheld radio? How
about becoming a weather spotter to help your community prepare
for weather events? If you answered yes to any of these, then
Amateur Radio may be for you!
The Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society is sponsoring TechFest 2020
on January 18th, 2020. TechFest is a nationally recognized event
that presents a show-and-tell of the various aspects of Amateur
"Ham" Radio. TechFest 2020 will be held at the Gwinnett Medical
Center's Resource Center, 665 Duluth Highway (GA120),
Lawrenceville, GA 30046. The doors will open at 9:00am with
events concluding at 2:00pm.
Raffle prizes include an ICOM IC-7300 HF Radio and a Yaesu
FTM-400XDR/XE VHF/UHF Radio.
Door prizes include a Kenwood TS-590SG HF Radio, a Yaesu FT-4x
Dual Mode HT Radio.
Planned exhibits include:
• Getting Started with Raspberry Pi for Ham Radio
• Digital Mode Hotspots
• VHF/UHF “Dxing” Fun
• How to Solder
• Lightning Protection and Grounding
and more.......
Other attractions include: American Radio Relay League (ARRL)
exhibit, Local emergency communications (EmComm), and forums on
radio related topics.
TechFest 2020 is open to the general public, and is a free
event.
Would you like to become an amateur radio operator? Do you know
someone you would like to introduce to the hobby? TechFest 2020
will provide an excellent opportunity to learn about "Ham"
Radio."
ITU highlights role of amateur radio in emergency comms
Amateur radio features in the ITU Guidelines for national
emergency telecommunication plans, published by the
Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D)
The ITU Guidelines for national emergency telecommunication
plan's pages 80-81 note:
Radio amateurs have supported communications in emergency
situations on a voluntary basis since the beginning of radio
communications. They are experts in radio communications and
have the equipment, skills and necessary frequencies allocated
by ITU (2017d) to deploy networks in emergency events quickly
and efficiently.
The support provided by radio amateurs in cases of emergency has
the following advantages:
• There is great coverage, due to the large number of amateur
radio stations available and operating in all regions and in
almost every country in the world.
• The coverage of amateur radio stations becomes a network
independent of others.
• There are training programmes and simulation exercises for
emergencies developed by national radio amateurs for situations
of telecommunications in emergencies.
• They are qualified temporary volunteers who provide skills and
experience essential for emergency telecommunications, with the
sole purpose of supporting humanitarian aid services.
• They have skill in solving problems related to the use of
telecommunications during emergencies with often very limited
resources.
• Many amateur radio stations trained to handle emergency
telecommunications have alternative power sources, such as
battery power, solar power or generator power and can operate
during power disruptions.
USKA preparing response to Article 37a on ham radio antennas
Switzerland's national amateur radio society USKA
is preparing its response to OFCOM's consultation regarding the new
Article 37a on ham radio antennas in the FMG Telecommunications Act
The revised FMG Telecommunications Act, which was passed by the
Swiss Parliament on March 22, 2019, now contains Article 37a
"Amateur Radio". It regulates two main area:
• Paragraph 1 lays the foundation for the cantons and municipalities
to be able to introduce simplified authorization procedures for
simple antennas such as wire and rod antennas and light masts
similar to flagpoles.
The word "can" can be interpreted as an invitation. It is now up to
us to persuade politicians in the cantons to take appropriate
measures.
• Paragraph 2 unequivocally states that the maintenance of an
amateur radio antenna and the replacement by an equivalent antenna
do not require a license.
On January 14, 2020 the USKA put out a call for Swiss amateurs with
political connections to get in touch with them. A translation of
their post reads:
The “Task Force Legal Framework for Amateur Radio” meets
sporadically as needed. The next meeting will take place at the end
of February or the beginning of March, as we have to submit our
response to OFCOM's consultation on the new FMG by March 25th
[2020].
We would also like to take this opportunity to discuss how to
implement FMG Art. 37a in the cantons and communes. It's about how
we can get them to adapt their future legislation on amateur radio
antennas due to the new Art. 37a in the FMG.
We ask all politically committed radio amateurs who can influence
the Canton or Municipality level to contact me for this conference.
I will send the details of the conference to those concerned by
email.
Vy 73 de Bernard Wehrli, HB9ALH
Board member responsible for antennas and OFCOM
hb9alh<at>uska.ch
THURSDAY EDITION: Ranger Rick- K1BQT still has a like new
AL1300 for sale in NH, good deal, check NH Craigslist....
New ham radio magazine 'On the Air'
The ARRL has launched the bi-monthly amateur radio magazine
On the Air and has made the premier issue freely
available to read on the internet
The magazine's Editorial Director Becky Schoenfield W1BXY
says "Every other month, On the Air will bring you project builds,
operating techniques and know-how, definitions to make you fluent in
hamspeak, stories from the community, wisdom from experienced hams,
and much more."
The first issue of On the Air January/February 2020, includes:
• A guide to buying your first handheld radio
• Step-by-step instructions for building simple antennas for VHF and
HF
• A full-page infographic that explains how the ionosphere makes
long-distance radio communication possible
• An “Up Close” Q & A with Jeremy Hong, KD8TUO, who reveals his
favorite resources for new hams.
• …and much more!
For several years now, Youngsters on the Air (YOTA)
has sponsored
YOTA Month each December, primarily involving young
radio amateurs in Europe and Africa. In December, youth-operated
amateur radio stations in the Americas picked up the ball to
contribute more than 12,000 contacts to the worldwide event.
Eighteen operators aged 25 or younger deployed special event 1 ×
1 call signs — K8Y, K8O, K8T, and K8A
— to promote youth in amateur radio. Fifteen young operators
across the US took turns using these call signs throughout
December. They logged 10,474 contacts using those call signs on
SSB, CW, digital modes, and satellites. Some operators also
aired the call signs during contests. Participants in the
Americas offered opinions on what made the event special for
them.
“Operating-wise, it was definitely the pileups…I love a
good pileup,” said Mason Matrazzo, KM4SII. “Apart from that, it
was great getting to be part of a group of youngsters that are
all into the hobby. Even though we weren’t physically working
together, we all got to be part of the YOTA program over the
air.”
Audrey McElroy, KM4BUN, also cited the on-air camaraderie.
“My favorite part of YOTA month was getting the wonderful
experience of talking to other youth all over the world and
sharing our experiences,” she said. “It gives us hope to know
the future of Amateur Radio is in the hands of these great
kids.” Her brother Jack, KM4ZIA, also took part.
In Canada, David Samu, VE7DZO, signed VE7YOTA in December,
making 458 contacts on CW. “My favorite part was seeing all the
YOTA stations on the air throughout December and seeing all the
high energy youth activity,” he said.
Mathias Acevedo, CE2LR, activated XR2YOTA, and met another
young operator from Chile, Manu Pardo, CA3MPR, through YOTA
month. Between them, they put 1,535 contacts into the log on CW,
SSB, and digital modes.
Bryant Rascoll, KG5HVO, coordinated the efforts of the 17
participants and the logs for the US stations. “I learned much
during the month about the importance of teamwork and
communication...just like baseball,” Bryant said about his role
as coordinator. “I think YOTA month was a great success
considering the short amount of time we had to plan this all
out. I had a lot of fun operating this event, but it was even
more rewarding to see other youth here in the Americas make tons
of QSOs during December.” Bryant managed Logbook of The World
accounts for the US stations and QRZ.com pages for all call signs,
maintained an operator schedule, worked with YOTA Month Award
Manager Tomi Varro, HA8RT, and reported in to the YOTA Camp
Committee in the Americas.
Globally, nearly 129,000 contacts were logged using 48 call
signs, all operated by hams under the age of 25 or younger. More
than 2,500 operators of all ages requested and received awards
based on the number of YOTA contacts they had made.
Statistics are available.
The first Youth On The Air camp in the US will take place
next June 21 – 26 at the National Voice of America Museum of
Broadcasting in West Chester Township, Ohio.
Puerto Rico Earthquake Relief Effort Continues, with Help from
Ham Radio
In Puerto Rico, Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)
volunteers continue to operate from the American Red Cross
distribution center in Yauco — one of the towns hit the hardest
by the recent earthquakes and ongoing aftershocks on the island.
The Red Cross requested assistance last week to identify
undeclared refugee camps and to report on close or damaged
roadways and bridges. ARES District 5 Emergency Coordinator Herb
Perez, WP4ZZ, who is among those volunteering for the Red Cross
at Yauco, reported on January 14 that he, Melvin Velazquez,
WP4RAP, and Yolanda Garcia, WP4QZF, are on duty there.
“Today,
we were able to occupy our space with no major incident other
than the usual shaking of the entire structure. More than 10 per
hour,” Perez said. “One of our members Jared Martinez, KP4LCO,
was able to search near his hometown of Lajas and was able to
locate more than 10 unidentified campsites around the area.”
Perez said such reports enable the Red Cross to provide
necessary assistance to those left homeless as a result of the
earthquakes.
Perez said volunteers were able to collect food for isolated
communities in the mountain region from a church-run food pantry
in Sabana Grande. He said local members of the GMRS and Citizens
Band radio communities have been pitching in.
Operations from Yauco have been on VHF and UHF, although
commercial telecommunication services remain in operation for
the most part. Another station has been established at the Red
Cross Headquarters in the capital of San Juan, which is not in
the earthquake zone. Puerto Rico Section Manager Oscar Resto,
KP4RF, said the stations are operating as a backbone, in the
event of new or stronger earthquakes. HF equipment has been
safely stowed if communications fail, Resto said. Most of Puerto
Rico now has power and water.
ARRL is shipping six VHF/UHF base/repeater antennas and six
50-foot rolls of LMR-400 coax, through the
Ham Aid Fund.
Resto said a new Red Cross warehouse will be place in Mayagüez,
where he will install a third station for backbone
communication. “That is the reason for the new antennas,” he
said. “We already have the radios. In case we need to escalate
to HF, we are ready with ARRL go-kits from Hurricane Maria.”
The ARES team in Yauco has also been handling
health-and-welfare traffic from the earthquake zone. Operations
are running from 9 AM until 5 PM each day.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck the southwestern part of
Puerto Rico on January 7, fast on the heels of a magnitude 5.8
tremor the day before. The worst-impacted cities were Guayanilla,
Peñuelas, Yauco, and Guánica, where most homes are no longer
habitable.
AM Rally 2020 Gets Under Way on February 1
The fourth annual AM
Rally operating event will take place February 1 –
3 (UTC). The annual AM Rally encourages all operators to explore
amateur radio's original voice mode by showcasing the various
types of AM equipment in use today, ranging from early
vacuum-tube rigs to the newest SDR-based transceivers.
“Both
new and experienced ops are discovering that AM can sound quite
good, enhancing the enjoyment of contacts,” said Clark Burgard,
N1BCG, an enthusiastic promoter of the event. “The AM Rally
provides a great reason to give it a try.”
The AM Rally is open to all radio amateurs capable of running
full-carrier, amplitude modulation (standard AM) using any type
of radio equipment — modern, vintage, tube, solid-state,
software-defined, military, boat anchor, broadcast, homebrew, or
commercially manufactured — are encouraged to join in the AM fun
on 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, and 6 meters.
Details
are on the AM Rally website or
contact
Burgard via email. The AM Rally is sponsored by ARRL, Radio
Engineering Associates, and iNetRadio.
WEDNESDAY EDITION:
Winter Field Day is coming up on January 25/26 and we will be
active at the local radio club...Some ask "what is going on with the
"Friendly Bunch?" on 3919? I say, who cares!....I did listen for 5
minutes last night to old #1 butt in every 30 seconds (why the hell
do they need net controls?) and the sacred one announced he had a
video of the "Friendly Bunch do Stone Mountain event"...boy I
bet that is a knee slapping event...that is when I turned the dial
and listened down on 3843 for a while....Only
in Florida...Another reason not to eat a fast
food joints....Red Sox fire manager Cora, good riddance...Delta
dumps fuel over a
playground before landing, there must be a logical answer?
ARRL On the Air Podcast Premieres on January 16
ARRL’s new On the Air podcast for those just getting
started on their amateur radio journey, will debut this
Thursday, January 16, with a new podcast posted each month. The
podcast is a companion to the new bimonthly
On
the Air magazine, which is already on its way
to member subscribers. On the Air magazine editor Becky
Schoenfeld, W1BXY, will be the host of the new podcast. Both the
podcast and the magazine are aimed at offering new and
beginner-to-intermediate-level radio amateurs a fresh approach
to exploring radio communication.
Listeners can find the On
the Air podcast at
Blubrry,
Apple iTunes (or by using your iPhone or
iPad podcast app (search for On the Air), and
Stitcher (or through the free Stitcher app
for iOS, Kindle, or Android devices).
Episodes will be archived on the ARRL website.
Each On the Air podcast will take a deeper dive into
the articles and issues raised in the magazine, including advice
and insight on topics covering the range of amateur radio
interests and activities: radio technology, operating,
equipment, project building, and emergency communication.
Supplementing On the Air will be a new
Facebook page
for those who share a love of radio communication and are
looking to learn and explore more about their interests.
The biweekly Eclectic Tech podcast for experienced
radio amateurs will launch on February 13. Hosted by QST
Editor Steve Ford, WB8IMY, Eclectic Tech will highlight
topics involving amateur and non-amateur technology, offer brief
interviews with individuals involved in projects of interest to
amateurs, and include practical information of immediate benefit
to today’s hams. Eclectic Tech will be available via
iTunes and
Stitcher.
The ARRL Mags apps including QST and On the
Air are now live on Apple iTunes and Google Play. The
digital edition of On the Air
magazine is now live and linked from the On the Air page
on the ARRL website.
Germany Special Event Recognizes Anniversary of SDR Development
The Deutscher Amateur Radio Club (DARC) this year is honoring 35
years of software-defined radio (SDR) technology with special
call sign and special DOK.
“In order to acknowledge the high importance of digital
signal processing for communications technology in general, and
amateur radio in particular, a special event station DL35SDR
will be active from the greater Munich area throughout 2020,”
the DARC announcement said. A special DOK of 35SDR was issued
for this station.
DARC said digital signal processing via SDR has become the
generally accepted standard for decoding and generating of radio
signals. Commercial services have been using this technology for
a long time and modern amateur radio is unimaginable without it.
Award-winning researcher Ulrich L. Rohde, N1UL/DJ2LR, was the
first to describe the possibilities and perspectives of SDR in a
lecture during the Third International Conference on HF
Communication Systems and Technique in 1985. Rohde is recognized
as one of the pioneers of SDR technology. — Thanks to OPDX
LUSAT 30th anniversary
Members of AMSAT Argentina (LU7AA) celebrate
the 30th anniversary of the LUSAT (LO-19)
satellite between Jan. 18 and 26 on HF on SSB, FT8, CW. An award
is available as well.
Chris VE3FU, Dave VE9CB, and Frank VO1HP will be active as
VO2AC, VO2AAA, and VO1HP/VO2 from the
lighthouse Point Amour/Labrador in Canada (CQ zone 2).
QRV from the 20th to 26th, including the CQ WW 160m Contest (as
VO2AC).
QSL for VO2AC via VE3FU (d/B), VO2AAA via VE9CB, VO1HP/VO2 via
VO1HP; all logs will be put onto LoTW.
Virgin Orbit plans flight test of LauncherOne rocket in February
Virgin Orbit, AMSAT's launch for RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E, has announced
they expect to have their first test launch of LauncherOne, their
airborne-launched rocket, sometime in the second half of February.
The LauncherOne rocket is carried on the VO 747 Cosmic Girl
aircraft.
If this first test flight is successful RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E
is planned for launch on the second flight of LauncherOne during 1Q
2020 on the ELaNa XX mission.
TUESDAY EDITION: Grey, cloudy, and nippy start to the day...
The Space Weather Woman
The latest space weather forecast from Dr
Tamitha Skov
Puerto Rico Volunteers Deployed to Red Cross, ARRL Sending
Equipment
Puerto Rico Section Manager Oscar Resto, KP4RF, reports that
several Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) volunteers have
been deployed to earthquake-ravaged regions of the island at the
request of the American Red Cross. Initial operations got under
way in the town of Yauco, where the Red Cross has a central
warehouse for the earthquake relief effort. Operations are on
VHF and UHF, although commercial telecommunication services
remain in operation for the most part. A station has also been
activated at the Red Cross Headquarters in the capital of San
Juan, which is not in the earthquake zone. Aftershocks continue
on the island. A magnitude 5.9 tremor struck over the weekend.
“The stations are operating as a backbone, in case a new or
stronger earthquake hits the region,” Resto explained. “HF
equipment is stored in Pelican Cases for protection from a
larger catastrophic event, if communications fail.” Power has
been re-established over more than 90% of Puerto Rico, and water
service is operational in most places, Resto added.
ARRL is shipping six VHF/UHF base/repeater antennas and six
50-foot rolls of LMR-400 coax, through the
Ham Aid Fund.
Since January 12, the ARES Zone 5 amateur radio volunteers
have been handling health-and-welfare traffic from the
earthquake zone, reports Yauco ARES District Emergency
Coordinator Heriberto Perez, WP4ZZ, who said internet service
has been slow. He said the Red Cross has been providing food and
drinks for the volunteers. Operations are running from 9 AM
until 5 PM each day.
“Today was a bit of a rough day,” Perez said on Saturday.
“Many quakes during the day. It feels like you’re in a
simulator.” He said the three-person team is using UHF for
direct contact with San Juan, with a backup support frequency on
VHF, and communication has been solid.
“During the course of the day, we began to handle
health-and-welfare traffic from nearby victims,” he said. “We
are now reaching out to affected communities asking for tents
for the community [as well as] diapers or medicine, and many
other requests. We also initiated food collection in our
community.”
Perez said an HF radio was to be on site for backup on 20 and
40 meters. Power to the distribution center is 40% from the
power utility and 60% from generators.
Resto said over the weekend that he’d been told that the Red
Cross was relocating the disaster relief operation to Mayagüez,
which is a much closer site to the initial impact area, and ARES
will provide communication support at the new site.
“A personal comment,” Resto added. “[It] is very difficult to
sleep with so many earthquakes — more than 3,000 from December
28 — shaking your house. I hope that my house survives these
intense seismic events.”
A 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck the southwestern part of
Puerto Rico on January 7, fast on the heels of a magnitude 5.8
tremor the day before. The worst-impacted cities were Guayanilla,
Peñuelas, Yauco, and Guánica, where, Resto said, engineers have
determined that 80% of the houses in the earthquake’s impact
zone are uninhabitable.
Resto told ARRL last week that the earthquake disaster has
definitely been a setback for the US territory as it continues
its long recovery from severe hurricane damage in 2017.
Selecting the right type of antenna
There are very many different types of antenna to choose from:
dipoles inverted Vs, single band, multiband, doublets, verticals
beams trapped dipoles, and many more. On top of this many can be
home made or factory made. The choice is huge
In view of the great variety of antennas, it can be difficult to
know which one will be best for any given location.
While it can be very interesting to experiment, it pays to know
which antennas are likely be the best for for any given station. The
different characteristics can mean that some types are more suitable
than others.
MONDAY EDITION: What a weekend of warm weather, 70°
in January! No radio activity here, it was too nice to be in the
house playing radio, we took a day trip up to Kittery, Maine and
enjoyed the yl shopping...No
towers in Framingham, about an hour from me...100 great
innovations of 2019....
DL35, Germany special event
The DARC honors 35 years of SDR-technology with special callsign
and special-DOK. In order to acknowledge the high importance of
digital signal processing for communications technology in general
and amateur radio in particular, a special event station 'DL35SDR'
will be active from the greater Munich area throughout the year
2020. The Special-DOK "35SDR" was issued for this station.
Today, digital signal processing via Software Defined Radio (SDR)
is the generally accepted standard for decoding and generating of
radio signals.
Commercial services have been using this technology for a long time
and nowadays amateur radio is not imaginable without SDR.
Prof. Dr.- Ing. habil. Ulrich L. Rohde, DJ2LR / N1UL,
was the first describing the possibilities and perspectives of SDR
in a congress lecture at the "Third International Conference on HF
Communication Systems and Techniques" in London in February 1985
(classified). The title was: "A Sampling of Techniques".
DJ2LR / N1UL, member of DARC Amateur Radio Club Munich South
(C18) is recognized as one of the pioneers of SDR technology 35
years ago.
New England Hams
you might run across 75
meters.........
K1TP-
Jon....Editor of As The World
Turns.... KB1OWO-
Larry...Handsome Fellow
,Only cuts lawn in August, plows
snow the rest in Jackman, Maine W1GEK-
Big Mike....Nearfest Cook, big
motor home, electronics software
engineer ... AA1SB-
Neil...Living large traveling
the country with his
girlfriend...loves CW N1YX-
Igor....peddles quality Russian
keys, software engineer K1BGH...Art.....Restores
cars and radio gear, nice fella... N1XW.....Mike-easy
going, Harley riding kind of
guy!
K1JEK-Joe...Easy going, can
be found at most ham flea market
...Cobra Antenna builder.. KA1GJU-
Kriss- Tower climbing pilot who
cooks on the side at
Hosstrader's... W1GWU-Bob....one
of the Hosstrader's original
organizers, 75 meter regular,
Tech Wizard!!! K1PV-
Roger....75 meter regular, easy
going guy... W1XER...Scott....easy
going guy, loves to split
cordwood and hunt... WS1D-
Warren- "Windy" - Bullnet KB1VX-
Barry- the picture says it all,
he loves food! KC1BBU-
Bob....the Mud Duck from the
Cape Cod Canal, making a lot of
noise.
W1STS- Scott...philosopher,
hat
connoisseur,
KB1JXU-
Matthew...75 meter regular...our
token liberal Democrat out of VT KA1BXB-Don....75
meter Regular......residing on
the Cape of Cod, flying planes
and playing radio KMIG-Rick....75
Meter Regular....teaches the
future of mankind, it's scary! K1PEK-Steve..Founder
of Davis-RF....my best friend
from high school K9AEN-John...Easy
going ham found at all the ham
fests
K1BXI- John.........Dr.
Linux....fine amateur radio op
....wealth of experience... K1BQT.....Rick....very
talented ham, loves his
politics, has designed gear for
MFJ...
W1KQ- Jim- Retired
Air Force
Controller...told quite a few
pilots where to go! N1OOL-Jeff-
The 3936 master plumber and
ragchewer... K1BRS-Bruce-
Computer Tech of 3936...multi
talented kidney stone passing
ham...
K1BGH- Arthur, Cape Cod,
construction company/ice cream
shop, hard working man.... W1VAK-
Ed, Cape Cod, lots of experience
in all areas, once was a Jacques
Cousteus body guard.... K1BNH-
Bill- Used to work for a bottled
gas company-we think he has been
around nitrous oxide to long .
Silent KeyVA2GJB-
Graham...one of the good 14313
guys back in the day.
Silent KeyK1BHV-
David...PITA
Silent Key
W1JSH-
Mort...Air Force man
Silent KeyK1MAN--Glen....PITA
Silent KeyKB1CJG-"Cobby"-
Low key gent can be found on
many of the 75 meter
nets.........
Silent KeyWB1AAZ-
Mike, Antrim, NH, auto parts
truck driver-retired
Silent KeyWB1DVD-
Gil....Gilly..Gilmore.....easy
going, computer parts selling,
New England Ham..
Silent Key W1OKQ-
Jack....3936 Wheeling and
Dealing......keeping the boys on
there toes....
Silent KeyW1TCS-
Terry....75 meter
regular, wealth of electronic
knowledge...
Silent Key
WIPNR-
Mack....DXCC Master, worked them
all!.. 3864 regular for many
years...
Silent Key
WILIM-
Hu....SK at 92... 3864
regular for many years...
Silent Key N1SIE-
Dave....Loves to fly
Silent Key:N1WBD-
Big Bob- Tallest ham, at 6'10",
of the 3864 group
Silent Key:W1FSK-Steve....Navy
Pilot, HRO Salesman, has owned
every radio ever built!
Silent Key:W4NTI-Vietnam
Dan....far from easy going cw
and ssb op on 14275/313
Silent Key:K1FUB-Bill-
Loved ham radio....
